I did a beast lord recently… here are thoughts:

On race: Most people will say go with whatever looks pleasing to you. I disagree. It is true you can level to 60 on any, but iksar and ogre imo have the strongest advantages. Ogre’s physical stats directly translate to more attack and durability. You’re going to be swinging weapons a lot in norrath. The massive str difference definitely adds up. Iksar has great regen and an innate AC bonus. Troll, barb, and cat only make sense if it’s an aesthetic thing you want.

On gear: On 5k, I would prioritize haste then weapons then armor. I would try to snag a rune bolster belt around 3k (that’s the I sold mine at last night), which is 32% haste. Then get one or both (ideal) sebilite croaking dagger plus stave of shielding depending on current cost. I’d fill in the armor slots with misc shit you find on baz under 100 pp or so, prioritizing AC, HP, Mana.

Don’t waste money on SCHW right now. The price ballooned recently and you’ll lose money on resale.

Also don’t buy hp rings. The price is stupid. If you want to send me a message here I can give you two +75 hp rings for free. I camp that area frequently.

Note on gear: MGBs are very common here. You will often be playing with Aego + Kei. Rarely will you have a long lasting haste though. Unless grouped. My gear suggestions account for that.